The Eastern League All-Star Game is set to return to New Britain, Conn., for the first time since 2003. The league announced the rosters for its July 10 Midsummer Classic on Wednesday, pitting the best of the Eastern Division against the cream of the Western.

For the East, first-place Binghamton and host New Britain lead the way with five players each. Portland and Trenton will send four players apiece and New Hampshire and Reading are represented by three players.

The East squad features Jim Murphy of the Fightin Phils, who leads the league with 15 home runs, and the B-Mets' Cesar Puello and Allan Dykstra, the circuit's top two sluggers at .616 and .607, respectively. Among the Eastern pitchers are ERA leader Anthony Ranaudo of Portland and Binghamton's Logan Verrett, the league's only eight-win hurler.

Bowie is the West's largest contributor with six players named to the team, though pitcher Jason Gurka is on the disabled list and will not participate in the game. First-place Harrisburg and Richmond are sending five players each, Erie and Akron four apiece and Altoona three.

Leading the way for the West is Bowie outfielder Henry Urrutia, who leads the league with a .366 batting average and RBI leader (with 57) Jesus Aguilar of Akron. Erie shortstop Hernan Perez, second in the league with 19 stolen bases, will set the table.

On the mound, the West features league strikeout leader Jesse Biddle of Reading. The left-hander has fanned 91 batters over 79 1/3 innings in the first half of the season and is holding EL hitters to a .190 average.

EASTern DIVISION ALL-STAR TEAM

Position Players

NAME

POS

TEAM

MLB ORG

Josmil Pinto*

C

New Britain

MIN

Christian Vazquez

C

Portland

BOS

Allen Dykstra*

1B

Binghamton

NYM

Albert Cartwright

2B

Reading

PHI

Michael Almanzar*

3B

Portland

BOS

Josh Rodriguez

3B

Binghamton

NYM

Kevin Nolan*

SS

New Hampshire

TOR

Danny Santana

SS

New Britain

MIN

Tyler Austin*

OF

Trenton

NYY

Ramon Flores

OF

Trenton

NYY

Brad Glenn

OF

New Hampshire

TOR

Daniel Ortiz

OF

New Britain

MIN

Cesar Puello

OF

Binghamton

NYM

Jim Murphy*

DH

Reading

PHI

Pitchers

NAME

POS

TEAM

MLB ORG

A.J. Achter*^

RHP

New Britain

MIN

Jesse Biddle*

LHP

Reading

PHI

Drake Britton

LHP

Portland

BOS

Edgar Ibarra

LHP

New Britain

MIN

Tommy Kahnle

RHP

Trenton

NYY

Trevor May

RHP

New Britain

MIN

Sean Nolin^

LHP

New Hampshire

TOR

Anthony Ranaudo*

RHP

Portland

BOS

Nik Turley

LHP

Trenton

NYY

Logan Verrett

RHP

Binghamton

NYM

Marcus Walden

RHP

New Hampshire

TOR

Jeff Walters

RHP

Binghamton

NYM

* - Denotes fan balloting selection^ - Player will not be participating in game

WESTERN DIVISION ALL-STAR TEAM

Position Players

NAME

POS

TEAM

MLB ORG

Caleb Joseph

C

Bowie

BAL

James McCann*

C

Erie

DET

Jesus Aguilar*

1B

Akron

CLE

Jarek Cunningham*

2B

Altoona

PIT

Ty Kelly*

3B

Bowie

BAL

Mark Minicozzi

3B

Richmond

SF

Joe Panik

2B

Richmond

SF

Hernan Perez

SS

Erie

DET

Niuman Romero

SS

Bowie

BAL

Javier Herrera

OF

Richmond

SF

Carlos Moncrief

OF

Akron

CLE

Steven Souza Jr.

OF

Harrisburg

WAS

Brian Goodwin**

OF

Harrisburg

WAS

Andrew Susac*

DH

Richmond

SF

Pitchers

NAME

POS

TEAM

MLB ORG

Aaron Barrett*

RHP

Harrisburg

WAS

Paul Demny

RHP

Harrisburg

WAS

Jose Flores*

RHP

Akron

CLE

Jason Gurka^

LHP

Bowie

BAL

Taylor Jordan

RHP

Harrisburg

WAS

Matt Packer

LHP

Akron

CLE

Edwin Quirarte

RHP

Richmond

SF

Casey Sadler

RHP

Altoona

PIT

Warwick Saupold*^

RHP

Erie

DET

Jack Snodgrass*

LHP

Richmond

SF

Will Startup

LHP

Erie

DET

Jameson Taillon*

RHP

Altoona

PIT

Mike Wright*

RHP

Bowie

BAL

* - Denotes fan balloting selection** - denotes player who replaced the promoted Henry Urrutia (Bowie) and Josh Johnson (Harrisburg) on the roster. ^ - Player will not be participating in game

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.